Dames' Night Out
by TalepieceUK
Summary: River and Sarah Jane find themselves in 1920s San Francisco.femslash
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Dames' Night Out  
AUTHOR: Talepiece  
RATING: 12 cert.  
PAIRING: Sarah Jane/River  
SUMMARY: River and Sarah Jane find themselves in 1920s San Francisco.  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, least of all these two.  
CREDIT: Mr Benn and Round The Horne (I only steal from the best).  
CONTINUITY: Post-_Not In Chronological Order_.

* * *

River threw herself back from the end of the alleyway, her body slamming against the wall.

'I really must stop leading with my chest,' she said conversationally.

Sarah Jane glanced down at the chest in question. Strapped down under an elegant pinstripe suit, she couldn't see much of what she knew was there but she wanted it to remain intact too. Another shot rang out across the opening of the alley. They were trapped. Sarah Jane hefted the skinny figure in her arms, trying to prop the unconscious girl against her shoulder. Another bullet. A few shouts from further away - but getting closer.

'Could we just get out of here?' Sarah Jane said. 'Why can't you just use that thing,' she nodded towards River's wrist, 'and be done with it?'

'Because she,' River emphasised the word with a jab of her finger towards the girl, 'needs to stay here and because they,' another jab of the finger, 'have to be stopped.'

'Stopped from doing what? We don't even know what they're doing.'

River glared at her, 'Whatever it is, do you think it's something for the good of humanity?'

Sarah Jane bit back her retort and gave a quick shake of her head in response. Why did this keep happening to them? They'd had a few quiet days, River at home, no aliens threatening the Earth. They'd talked and made love and been a normal, old-fashioned couple. Well, as old-fashioned as a time-traveler from the 51st century and a former-time-traveler who liked to save the planet could manage. They had managed and it had been wonderful. And then the telephone rang.

'Hello? Hello? I'm sorry, it's a terrible line,' Sarah Jane said, free hand coming to her other ear to block out what noise she could. She listened intently and finally caught one word that made sense, 'River? You want River Song? Yes, yes, all right then, hold on. River?' Sarah Jane called out from her spot at the bottom of the stairs.

River trotted in from the kitchen, a big, filthy grin on her face, 'You called, my sweet? Oh,' she added, disappointed to see the phone in Sarah Jane's outstretched hand.

'It's a terrible line,' Sarah Jane forced the receiver in to River's hand, 'but I'm pretty sure she wants you.'

Sarah Jane dropped down on to the bottom step and looked up as River brushed her hair away from one side of her face and pressed the phone to her ear. Her face shifted from curiosity to surprise to panic in seconds and Sarah Jane stood up again.

'I'll be there as soon as I can. Well, not long; you'll be surprised just how quickly I can be there. Yes, yes, I promise. The back of the speakeasy. Yes...yes, I know it. I'll be there soon, just hold on.' River slammed the receiver in to its cradle and bustled by Sarah Jane without even looking at her, 'I have to go, Sweetie, I'll be back before you know it.'

'Go where?' Sarah Jane said and hated the jealousy that tinged the words. It had been a woman on the line. A young woman. She couldn't make out much more than that, though there was definitely an accent - American? - but she was sure of the woman part and almost sure of the young part. A young woman phones River out of the blue and she just ups and leaves without an explanation. Oh no she didn't. Sarah Jane reached out and grabbed for River's arm, turning her around before she could get two steps up the stairs, 'What is going on?'

River started to say something, her eyes darting to the staircase, before she thought better of it and calmed herself. She took a deep breath, walking back down to Sarah Jane.

'Sweetie, I really have to go. An old friend of mine is in trouble,' she titled her head towards the telephone, 'and I have to help her. She'd do the same for me.'

'I'm coming too.'

'Oh no you're not.'

'I damn well am. Why shouldn't I?' Sarah Jane said suspiciously.

River baulked but calmed herself again, 'It could be dangerous. Actually, it almost certainly will be; she never gets herself in to simple, safe little scrapes.'

'And just who is she?' Sarah Jane really didn't like this green-eyed version of herself but she couldn't seem to shut it down. She shook her head, holding up a hand to forestall River's response, 'What I mean is: Who is she?' It wasn't much better but River seemed to appreciate the effort.

'She's an adventuress, of the literal kind,' River added, 'She made some remarkable discoveries in the Orient and elsewhere in the 1920s and 30s. God knows how; she's a complete ditz. Fascinating woman though. Bit,' a hesitation, 'forceful at times and prone to get herself in to trouble. Which is why I have to go.'

'We,' and Sarah Jane was pushing past River and heading upstairs.

More gun fire bought Sarah Jane back to herself. She wriggled against the weight of the young woman's body again. River hadn't lied, she really did know how to get herself in to trouble. But apparently not how to get herself out of it.

'I think we have to surrender,' River said.

Sarah Jane stared at her, 'Surrender?'

'You have any other suggestions?' River saw Sarah Jane's eyes flicker down to her wrist, 'Apart from that?' She pushed herself away from the wall, 'Come on, put your hands up...well, your free hand then. I'll see if I can keep this hat on,' she said, pushing a few escaped strands of her curly hair back under the brim.

The second unpleasant surprise for Sarah Jane, after the whole strange woman demanding her lover's help part, was the costume. River had reluctantly agreed to let Sarah Jane accompany her. She had had very little choice in the matter. They'd hurried upstairs where River pulled out her battered old suitcase and unlocked it. Sarah Jane was fascinated; River had put the case away very carefully when she arrived at Bannerman Road and asked her never to move it. The temptation had almost driven Sarah Jane mad. Fortunately, River was quite accomplished at the driving-Sarah-Jane-mad thing herself and had kept her mind off any other sort of temptation. Now the case was open and Sarah Jane was having a really good look at its contents.

'Having a good peek, Sweetie?' River said. Sarah Jane batted at her shoulder but said nothing. River pulled out a smaller box, tucked it under her arm, then closed and locked the case once more. She left it on the bed, turning to smile at Sarah Jane, 'Now we just need something to wear.'

They'd gone to Festival Road, a little fancy dress shop run by a strange mustachioed man wearing a fez. He'd offered a smile to River, listened carefully to her requests and hurried off. The next thing Sarah Jane knew, she was in the changing room staring down at a wisp of material in one hand and a cloche hat in the other. River was already changed, standing outside the little cubicle and trying to hurry Sarah Jane up.

'I had much more to put on than you and I'm ready.' That helped. Sarah Jane growled and River tried again, 'Please, Sweetie, do hurry up.'

Sarah Jane shrugged out of her clothes, folding them neatly and putting them on the chair that took up the corner of the changing room. She slithered in to the dress and checked herself in the mirror, pulled on her hat and stepped outside. River looked stunning. Sarah Jane felt her belly flip-flop, surprised at the strength of the reaction given what River was wearing. It was a sharp men's suit, brown with a pinstripe. Her unruly hair was pushed up under a hat, set at a rakish angle of course. River grinned at her reaction. Or perhaps it was at her own outfit. She did rather like this loose, flapper look; so much better than a formal evening dress.

'Well, I say,' River took her hand, 'we should play dress up more often.'

Sarah Jane blushed crimson but couldn't stop the smile that split her face. Maybe they should - but not right now, she thought. River lost her smile at exactly the same moment. She looked to her wrist, pulling the sleeve of her cream shirt back from the device that was strapped there. Sarah Jane had never seen one before. It looked like an over-sized watch crossed with some old leather wrist binding. River tapped at it, muttering to herself as she did the calculations. She reached out for Sarah Jane's hand without looking up. Sarah Jane twined their fingers together. River lifted their hands as one, stretching out a finger and tapping at the device some more.

River looked up, 'Don't worry, Sweetie, it'll be fine.'

It wasn't. One second they were in the little shop, the next they were in a dark alleyway on a cold night. Sarah Jane felt her legs give way beneath her. River reached for her, holding her up while Sarah Jane's body shook violently. She fought hard not to heave. Her head was throbbing, her body ached all over, her skin was on fire but freezing at the same time.

'What the hell was that?'

'Vortex Manipulator.'

River lifted her wrist slightly, still holding Sarah Jane up. She didn't mind having Sarah Jane so close, particularly in that outfit, but it would be nicer if she wasn't such an unfortunate shade of green. River shifted Sarah Jane in her arms and lifted her free hand to Sarah Jane's face. She stroked it gently, waiting for the effects of the jump to wear off. She'd thrown up all over two soldiers and a girlfriend the first time she'd used one. The second time hadn't been much better but she decided not to tell Sarah Jane that just yet.

'I say again,' Sarah Jane said in a stronger tone, 'What the hell was that?'

'A sort of personal time transportation device. I, er, borrowed it from a pretty little Time Agent. Effective but not the most pleasant way to travel. Are you all right, Sweetie?'

Sarah Jane sucked in a few breaths, finding her feet and pushing away from River. She nodded slowly and managed a smile, 'Better, thank you.' Looking around them at the dark alley, she added, 'Where are we?'

They were back in another dark alley now, though the light of an early morning was beginning to brighten it. Just enough to see the two hoodlums who had finally dared to come to the entrance of the alley. They were big enough to block out most of what light there was. They had the guns but, much as she hated firearms of any kind, Sarah Jane had a feeling that the little oriental man who followed them was far, far more dangerous. He stepped forward, ignoring the men and walking towards the women. His thin lips were set in a humourless smile, his eyes hard. His back was strangely bowed, making him appear even shorter than he was. He lifted his hand and Sarah Jane recognised the beautifully decorate blowpipe that he bought to his lips. It was only a moment before a small dart was embedded in her neck. She reached up a shaking hand, suddenly feeling worse than she had when they'd arrived. Her fingers could barely grasp the dart but somehow she pulled it free from her flesh. She bought her hand away and stared at the dart with eyes that were already crossing, the lids drooping dangerously. Her body did the same. She turned her head towards River to see the drugged look in her lover's eyes. Another dart stood proud from the soft skin of River's neck. Sarah Jane used the fraction of a second of consciousness she had left to wish that they had stayed in bed that morning. Then the drugs overpowered her and she slumped down. She forced her arms to keep hold of the girl, trying not to fall on top of her. But it was no use; she had no control left.

'San Francisco, 1924, Chinatown,' River answered her question. She indicated the wall at their backs, 'This is one of the more interesting drinking establishments in town.'

'Interesting? Hold on! 1924? Prohibition? Interesting isn't quite the word you were going for, is it?'

River flashed her a smile and shrugged, 'It's a speakeasy, Sweetie, need I say more?'

'You could say why we're here particularly.'

'Rescue mission. Shouldn't take long; I've been here before.'

River lead her down the alley to a side door recessed in to the wall. She knocked an intricate beat on the dark wood and they waited. A small grill set high in the door opened with a squeak and a pair of eyes studied her. She winked at the eyes, tilting her hat forward with a push from behind. In a passably deep voice, she said, 'Don't bother asking for the password, I know there isn't one.' The eyes studied her for a moment more before the grill was shut and the door opened. Noise and heat hit them as soon as they entered the building. They walked in to a long, narrow passage, most of it filled with the gorilla who worked the door. River sauntered past him and Sarah Jane plastered a smile on her face and eased by. The passage opened out in to a large noisy room filled with smoke and music. There was a stage at one end, a few pretty girls dancing behind a stunning blonde with a squeaky voice and no talent. The patrons didn't seem to care. Most of them were too drunk to even hear her. The place stank of alcohol. Cheap, harsh alcohol that rotted the brain only marginally slower than the gut. Sarah Jane's face twisted in distaste but she forced the smile back and followed River.

You'd have thought River had spent her whole life in places like this and, Sarah Jane realised, she might very well have done. She really didn't know that much about her lover and what she knew had a vaguely fairy tale feel to it. But this place was no fairy tale. There were raised voices out in the middle of the room. Blessedly, it was drowning out the singer's voice. Unfortunately, it was working it's way up to a gunfight. Sarah Jane eyed the revolvers that were appearing from their shoulder holsters. Then one huge man trumped the lot with a tommy gun that he pulled from god alone knew where. Sarah Jane gasped as someone grabbed her hand, looking up to find River rolling her eyes at her.

'Come on,' she tugged Sarah Jane's hand, 'this is our chance.'

River lead Sarah Jane around the room, skirting the packed tables that filled the floor. All eyes were on the confrontation. The dancers and the band were watching intently. Only the singer looked appalled; she was ranting about no-one ever listening to her. They reached the stage and the woman was stamping her foot and shouting. A handgun went of. She shut up.

River pulled Sarah Jane past the stage to a small door set in the corner of the room. They ducked inside a warren of small dressing rooms and offices. Sarah Jane glanced back at the sound of more gunfire. There were shouts, a scream from the singer and what sounded like a mass brawl. More women screamed and there was the rapid rat-a-tat of high heels as the girls left the floor to their fighting men. River's hand dropped from her own and Sarah Jane turned back to find that they had made it through the warren of rooms and in to another long, narrow corridor. There were no doors off it, just one at the very end. Another huge man stood guard before it. Were all men in the 1920s built like that? River looked over her shoulder, raising a finger to her lips and Sarah Jane nodded her understanding.

Sarah Jane held back while River crept forward. The man hadn't moved, though he appeared to be looking straight at them. Sarah Jane studied him for a moment more and realised that he was blind. River was almost on him when he reacted. For a big man his movements were graceful and easy, his blindness didn't seem to be a problem at all. A massive hand came out in a chopping motion that River only just ducked under. She charged him, slamming his body in to the door. He bounced off and took a quick step towards her but she had already dropped down and was sweeping her leg out in an arc that caught his ankle and sent him sprawling back. His bulk cost him recovery time. Before he could regain his balance River had fought off his flailing hands and grabbed for his head, ramming it in to the wall. Old plaster rained down on his sparse hair as he slumped to his knees. His head hung in River's hand for a moment more before she pushed him away and he toppled over with a thud.

River dusted off her hands as she turned back to Sarah Jane, 'Everything all right, Sweetie?' she said, pushing her disheveled hair back beneath the hat.

Sarah Jane nodded, hurrying to her side At the end of the corridor, away from the ruckus of the main room, she could hear a voice from beyond the door. It was shouting - shouting River's name. River tried the handle, paused while she considered picking the lock, then shouldered the door open. She fell in to the room, tumbling after the shuddering door. Sarah Jane reached out and steadied her.

'River, baby, I knew you'd come for me.'

And River was wrapped in a hug, lips pulled down to the shorter woman's mouth, her arms waving so Sarah Jane could see that she was not directly involved in the moment of intimacy. But she wasn't pushing the girl away either, Sarah Jane noted. The kiss went on and on. Sarah Jane wished she was wearing a watch so she could glance at it tellingly. Instead, she tapped her foot and made a low growling sound from the back of her throat. Eventually the girl noticed that she and River were not alone.

'Oh, honey, I'm sorry. Hi, how are ya?' she said barely taking her eyes off River. Her gaze was back on her again as she said, 'River, baby, I fell for the dupe. And how! I ain't no dumb Dora but they took me for a sap. I fell for the Jane. Boy were you ever right about that; never fall for the tomato. Nah-ha, keep the bank closed.'

Sarah Jane looked from the girl to River again. It was English but it wasn't making a lot of sense. River seemed to be following, though she was working hard to shut the girl up. A hand over her mouth did the trick. River glanced over her shoulder at the battered door that stood open, exposing them to anyone who happened to walk in to the corridor.

'Clara, Sweetie' - River winced as she felt Sarah Jane tense up beside her but she carried on - 'we need to get out of here. Let's do that and then you can tell me, us,' she corrected hastily, 'all about it.' She waited until the girl nodded against her hand, then pulled it away. The hand hovered a few inches in front of the Clara's mouth until River was sure she would remain quiet. When that seemed to be settled, River dropped her hand to Clara's arm and tugged her towards the door. She reached out with her other hand for Sarah Jane and winced again when her lover refused to take hold. 'Let's just get out of here,' River pleaded with Sarah Jane as they headed for the door.

The fight was still going on, if anything it sounded worse. River lead them back down the corridor, picking their way daintily over the fallen guard. Back to the warren of dressing rooms but taking a right in to one of them. One that was in use. Some of the girls screeched at the intrusion. River winked at one, barely dressed and with a towel held up to her chest, and flashed a smile at another. Sarah Jane glared at her back but said nothing. Clara waved casually as if this was just another night out.

Through the dressing room, a smaller room beyond, then a door. River yanked the handle and they tumbled out into the cold night air. Sarah Jane slammed the door behind them and hurried to catch up with River and Clara. River still held Clara's hand. Sarah Jane was still glaring. They jogged down the alley, turning right, then left. It wasn't easy in the low-heeled pumps but at least the loose, beaded dress didn't hamper her movements. Sarah Jane had a sudden flashback to the second time she had met River; running through night-time London in evening wear and heels. A shout from behind them snapped her out of her memories and she glanced back to see two huge men lumbering after them.

'Come on, Sarah Jane,' River hissed.

They raced through more alleys but the men gained on them. A third figure appeared, smaller and strangely bowed. He raised his hand and something whistled past Sarah Jane's ear. She jerked her head to the side and turned to stare at the wall behind her. There was something lodged in the mortar, still quivering from the impact. Another whistling sound and a cry of surprise from Clara. Sarah Jane took a few hurried paces forward to see what was wrong. River was already supporting the girl, staring down at her shaking body in panic.

'Over there,' Sarah Jane said, indicating another turn in the maze of alleys.

River dragged Clara with her, pulling the girl in to her arms as they ran the last few yards, turned the corner - in to a dead end. River slumped against the wall, cradling Clara against her chest. Sarah Jane fell against her. There was something in Clara's shoulder, embedded in the flesh through the thin but expensive fabric of her gown. Sarah Jane reached up and plucked it from her skin. She eyed it suspiciously, holding it up for River to see.

'Poison dart,' River muttered. Her eyes widened in realisation. Sarah Jane felt her own panic increase. 'Here,' River said, handing Clara in to Sarah Jane's arms, 'hold her while I have a look. Sweetie,' River turned back to her, 'you know when I said everything would be fine...?'

* * *

'Oh, brother, you're all balled up.'

Sarah Jane heard the voice from far off. She twitched, her body aching, her head throbbing. She seemed to be spending quite a lot of her time in that state and she really didn't like it. She dared to prise open her eyes, regretted it immediately and snapped them shut again. In the brief moment they were open, despite the burning light that seemed to be shining directly at her, Sarah Jane could make out two figures huddled together not far from her feet. She moaned, the sound making her head even worse and moaned again because of it. Well that had to stop. She forced her body to shift on the cold, hard floor until she was struggling to sit up.

'Here ya go,' the too-chipper voice said in her ear. Sarah Jane moaned again, throwing in an expletive for good measure. 'Well, hey, if that's the way you want it, lady.' And the presence at her side was gone.

Sarah Jane waited out the rising nausea and the thudding pains. Her eyes fluttered open again and she realised that there was no blinding light; the room was barely lit at all. There was the cold, hard floor and there were definitely two figures huddled together a couple of yards away. Sarah Jane swallowed against the dryness in her throat.

'River?' she said. An answering groan. Despite the pained sound of it, Sarah Jane felt better - River was alive. And so was that Clara woman. 'Are you all right?' Sarah Jane asked her as civilly as she could manage.

Clara turned away from River, sitting down beside her, propped up against the wall. 'Me?' she said, 'Oh, yeah, everything's copacetic. I just feel like I've been ossified for a month. Some rescue you dolls pulled off there.'

'Hey,' Sarah Jane said, finding enough strength to drag herself to River's other side, 'we dropped everything to come here and help you.'

'Baby, you dropped the ball, is what you did. And who exactly are you, anyway?'

'I'm the,' Sarah Jane paused, forcing her brain to work as she recalled Clara's earlier words, 'I'm the tomato that she fell for,' adding a jerk of her finger towards River for good measure.

There was a low chuckle from River, followed quickly by a heartfelt moan. Then the green eyes were fluttering open and looking up in to Sarah Jane's concerned face. 'Hello, Sweetie,' she said. She struggled to get upright, propping herself up against Sarah Jane's shoulder. A hiss of surprise drew their gazes to Clara. 'Do close your mouth, Clara, you'll catch something in there. Now,' River looked around them, 'where exactly are we?'

Sarah Jane looked around too. It certainly wasn't the speakeasy. Instead of the smoky main room or the small dressing rooms, this was one large, open space. It was cold and damp, the air tainted with a smell that Sarah Jane didn't want to identify. There were some boxes scattered around the place but nothing very organised. Off across the space at the far end was a large door with a smaller opening set in to it. A warehouse. Sarah Jane looked up despite her protesting neck and saw the patched, weather-battered roof above them. A gust of wind rattled the panels and sent a sharp burst of sea air in to the room.

'One of the piers,' Clara said, 'Ginsberg owns plenty of places all over the city.'

River glared at her, 'And you didn't think to mention that it was Ginsberg you were dealing with when you called?'

'How did you call?' Sarah Jane asked. The thought was in her head and out of her mouth before she could stop it. 'Sorry,' she said to River's frustrated expression, 'but she's in 1924 and we were in -'

'London,' River finished for her. She added in a whisper, 'Call Forwarding, Sweetie.'

Clara stared at Sarah Jane as if she were a particularly stupid child, 'River, baby, I don't mean to be -'

'Then don't be,' River snapped. She rubbed at her head to clear the pain but it didn't really help. Sarah Jane reached out and ran a gentle hand over her brow. River's eyes closed for a moment, her body relaxing. She opened her eyes again to find Sarah Jane's worried expression side-by-side with Clara's look of amazement.

'So someone finally tamed the mighty River, ha? Well I'll be.'

'You'll be dead, we all will be, if we don't get out of here,' Sarah Jane said.

She reached for River's arm, tugged her sleeve up and let out a heavy sigh. The Vortex Manipulator was gone. Sarah Jane looked up at River, seeing the frustration in her eyes and wanting desperately to brush it away with a kiss. Instead, she made a shaky attempt to get to her feet, pulling River up with her.

'Come on,' River said, 'let's find a way out. And while we look you can tell us what's going on here,' she said to Clara.

They propped each other up until the room stopped spinning and their legs were capable of holding them upright. Sarah Jane and River stayed close but Clara skipped around the space as she spoke. She headed for a cluster of boxes that sat haphazardly a few yards away. Sarah Jane and River checked the wall behind them, running their hands over the damp brick, hoping to find a weak point that they could exploit. If they couldn't find one, they'd have to got out through the front and River was sure that wasn't going to be easy.

'I found something interesting last time I was out in Chin. This weird artifact, third century, Xiongnu maybe. Anyway, it was pretty and there's always a buyer for pretty - you know that.'

'So you bought it back?' River turned away from the wall, her hands still pressed against the bricks.

Clara rolled her eyes, 'Of course I bought it back, honey, what d'ya think I'd do?' She ducked her head in to one of the boxes and pulled out handfuls of packing straw. Throwing the straw over her shoulders, she turned to the next box and ripped the top open.

'And what happened next?' Sarah Jane said. She moved away from River, examining the wall as she went but listening intently to Clara's answer.

'I thought I'd found a buyer. Oh, River, you would not believe the chassis on this gal. And the gams. Anyways, she seemed nice -'

'They generally do, dear,' River interrupted again.

Clara took no notice, head half way in to the last box. She pulled more straw out and kicked it away in disgust. The straw joined the rest of the packing material that had formed an untidy pile behind her. She finally said, 'Said her father would be interested; had a thing for third century Northern Chinese artifacts. Offered good money. And did I mention the chassis?'

'Yes,' River and Sarah Jane said together. They had given up checking the walls now, walking back to stand together as they watched Clara scuffing the floor with the toe of her expensive shoe.

'Anyway,' Clara said, 'she tells me to meet her at that joint -'

'And you didn't think that was suspicious?'

'River, honey, I met you there; was that suspicious?'

'Well, honestly, yes it was. But that's not the point,' River added under Sarah Jane's heavy stare. She indicated the large door and they headed towards it. River said, 'The point is, what is this artifact and does Ginsberg have it?'

'The dame was his daughter, River, so yeah he has it.'

'You fell for Ginsberg's daughter? Hold on,' River said, 'I didn't even know he had a daughter.'

'Lotus Blossom. Great gams, deep voice but, hey, so do you; maybe I just go for that sort of thing.'

'River's voice isn't -' Sarah Jane began but River stopped her too.

'Setting that aside. Let's get on with this, shall we? Clara: the artifact?'

They were at the entrance now. One large double door that took up most of the end of the building and one much smaller door set in to it. River shouldered the larger door but it was heavily secured from the outside. Sarah Jane rattled the smaller door and found the same, though it gave more and she wondered if they couldn't force it open. Clara stood back and watched them. She wasn't watching their actions so much as their interactions. River gone steady? Not just some crush but full on, hand me the handcuff and take me to the church.

'No idea; never had a clue,' she said, 'Just somethin' pretty from where I was sitting.'

'And the dame with the gams and the chassis didn't give you any hints?' Sarah Jane asked.

River chuckled again and Sarah Jane's tongue peeked out of her mouth in response. River leaned in to her and dropped a kiss on her lips.

'Hey you two, check not cash right now, eh?'

'Check not cash?' Sarah Jane shook her head. Less because of the warped version of her beloved English language, more because she was genuinely starting to understand the woman. Good god. She shook off the thought and turned back to River, 'Just who is this Ginsberg chap?'

'Doctor Chu N Ginsberg MA -'

'Failed,' Clara put in.

'- Born to an English mother but Chinese father, educated at Oxford and Harvard. A master criminal. Or at least he thinks he is. Dangerous, though; best not forget that. Mostly dangerous because he hires the right people.'

'You mean the wrong people,' Sarah Jane said, remembering the stooped man with the blowpipe.

'Now you're on the trolley. And you know what?' Clara didn't wait for an answer, 'I'm thinkin' the daughter's even more dangerous than her Pa.'

'I am not his daughter.'

The three women froze in place, still facing the doors. Sarah Jane took a moment to wonder if they'd missed another entrance somewhere in the building but she felt sure they hadn't. She and River turned slowly but Clara remained staring forward, her back tensed painfully. Sarah Jane took in the woman. Clara hadn't lied; great legs and the rest wasn't bad either. The voice was surprisingly deep and held very little of the Orient. The flashing, dangerous eyes pulled Sarah Jane up short. River's fingers grazed Sarah Jane's hand before she raised them in surrender.

'We're not interested in you or your,' River corrected herself hastily, 'Dr Ginsberg's plans. We just want to go home.'

The woman lifted her hand, something held loosely in her palm. The Vortex Manipulator. 'You'd need this, wouldn't you?'

And she smiled, the most beautifully callous smile that Sarah Jane had ever seen. There was movement behind them and Sarah Jane heard Clara's muttered oath. Lotus Blossom's eyes never left their faces. Clara finally turned around, her intake of breath audible as she looked at her former love interest.

'Her boys are here,' Clara whispered.

Sarah Jane felt their looming presence. At least two remained at their backs, between the three women and the doors, while another two walked to Lotus Blossom's side. One was a huge man, at least as big as the blind guard from the speakeasy. The other was a little smaller but no less intimidating. His nose pointed to his left ear, the ear was cauliflowered like a prop forward. He grinned at Sarah Jane's curious gaze and showed a distinct lack of teeth.

'What do you want?' River said, 'You already have the artifact.'

Lotus Blossom's head tilted as she considered the women. She indicated River's suit with a flick of her painted finger, 'Why the suit?'

'I was feeling butch this morning. Why the artifact?'

'And you,' Lotus Blossom turned her attention to Sarah Jane, 'you're with her?'

'Yes I am.'

'You're a very lucky woman,' she said to River.

'Yes I am. The artifact?' River bit out the words.

Lotus Blossom spoke to the men, 'Leave us. Now,' she added when they seemed reluctant to go.

The men behind them opened the small door and stepped out, followed by the two hoods they had seen. The small door slammed closed, the sound ringing in the air around them. Lotus Blossom took a step forward, closing on Clara and reaching out a long nail. She drew the point down Clara's cheek, ignoring the fear on the young woman's face.

'Perhaps one of you would be good enough to tell me about this bloody artifact?' River said in an angry tone.

Sarah Jane hoped it was a ruse to distract Lotus Blossom from Clara and not a sign that her lover had lost her mind. She assumed the former and said, 'Can it really be worth all this?'

Lotus Blossom moved away from Clara, glancing towards River but stepping closer to Sarah Jane. The same painted nail flicked at Sarah Jane's chin, playing down her neck, raising a red line where the point dug in to the soft skin. Sarah Jane didn't move, her eyes never leaving the woman's face. She had been menaced by far worse than this creature. River tensed but held her ground, watching the display with burning eyes but proud of Sarah Jane for never letting her head dip in surrender. She waited for Lotus Blossom's eyes to leave hers, waited for that moment when the woman's attention was divided.

It came and she pounced. She lashed out with her arm, knocking the Vortex Manipulator from Lotus Blossom's other hand. It flew behind her, skittering across the floor. River ignored it, focusing on Lotus Blossom as she dropped in to a perfect fighting stance in one slow, smooth motion. River took the same deadly stance and the two women waited, utterly motionless, poised to strike.

'I love all this stuff,' Clara said. Sarah Jane glared at her and she shrugged, 'Sorry and all.'

Lotus Blossom raised an imperious brow, 'You are skilled in the ways of my people?'

'Londoners, you mean?' River said and gave a derisive laugh.

Lotus Blossom's anger flared and she launched a furious attack. Punches blocked and thrown again, arms wheeling around, legs kicking out. River dodged one blow and then the next, dancing around the warehouse. Sometimes pressed back, sometimes attacking. Lotus Blossom's hand flashed out and River caught it inches from her face. She held the fist for a moment, then twisted hard and sent Lotus Blossom's whole body corkscrewing away. She recovered quickly, dropping back in to a low stance. There was no sign of pain on her impassive face, though they had all heard the agonising grinding of bone on bone.

River straightened up, gaze never leaving the contained fury of Lotus Blossom's eyes. She waited. Feeling Sarah Jane's presence behind her and glad for it, though she wished she hadn't dragged her lover in to his situation. When would she learn? Neither of the other women had made a move for the Vortex Manipulator. River needed to maneuver Lotus Blossom further away so they could reach it without risk.

River charged at her, startling Lotus Blossom in to rising up. The woman was too slow to retake her stance and River barreled in to her, pushing her bodily until she dug her heels in and held them both fast. River pushed off the woman's shoulders and danced back a few paces. She flicked a hand behind her, hoping that Sarah Jane would take the hint. Not looking back, she felt Sarah Jane shift to the side. Oh how she loved that woman. But she didn't have time to think about that; Lotus Blossom was attacking again. She took a few steps back and ran forward, vaulting in to the air, launching herself over River's head and landing behind her. River barely had time to see the move before Lotus Blossom's arm was around her shoulders, the other hand in her hair and yanking her head back.

Clara gasped, 'River!'

From the corner of her eye River saw Sarah Jane stop and turn back towards them. She was close to the Vortex Manipulator now, had been inching her way closer before Lotus Blossom's move. River's eyes darted from Sarah Jane to the device, begging her to move. Sarah Jane hesitated a moment more before throwing herself across the floor and scooping it up. River felt Lotus Blossom's arm move up from her shoulders to her neck and knew she had to act before the arm was pressed tight to her throat. She threw her head back as hard as she could, connecting with Lotus Blossom's nose with a sickening crack. Warm wetness splashed across the back of River's head but she ignored the sensation and shifted her weight to throw the stunned figure over her shoulder. Lotus Blossom rolled, regaining her feet with a dangerous waver but coming to stand tall once more. Blood poured from her nose, dropping off her chin. She shook her head, bright red drops flying all around her. She reached up a casual hand and wiped it across her face, the fingers coming away coated red.

'River!'

Sarah Jane's shout had River's head coming up in time to see the Vortex Manipulator flying towards her. She threw out a hand and plucked it from the air. Looking up again, she saw Sarah Jane's smaller form body-charging Lotus Blossom from behind. The woman's back bent, her chest thrown forward, arms thrown out as she tried to hold her balance. Sarah Jane shouldered her aside and ran to River. River looked around, trying to find Clara and then saw a fist flash out towards Lotus Blossom's exposed face. It connected with her cheekbone causing a loud crack to echo through the warehouse. Lotus Blossom's eyes widened, then drooped shut as she sailed to the ground. Her body skidded, then settled in a heap. Blood splashed all around her.

Clara gave a yelp of pain and shook her hand, 'That's for the double cross, sister.'

The noise of their fight had finally drawn Lotus Blossom's men inside. The smaller door was already open. River spun on her heels, stared at the men for a moment before thrusting out the hand that held the Vortex Manipulator. 'Clara! Hold this. Now!' She reached out for Sarah Jane's hand and slapped it down on her own. Clara hurried forward, the men only feet from them. Two had guns in their hands, rising fast. River jabbed at the controls as soon as Clara's hand fell on top of her own.

Just as the device activated, they heard Lotus Blossom's gurgling laughter. There was a wicked gleam in the woman's bloodshot eyes as she said, 'You assume I have done nothing to your little toy.'

Sarah Jane stared down at the device in horror but it was too late. A bullet whistled by, quickly followed by another. There was a rush of energy, the now familiar ripping sensation of travel via time vortex. She saw the look of triumph in Lotus Blossom's heavy eyes. And then she saw something completely different.

Clara vomited noisily behind them, her focus on nothing but the agony of her body and mind. River held Sarah Jane for a few moments while they found their feet again. They stood together, propping one another up, staring around them.

Sarah Jane sighed, 'Life's never boring with you, is it?'


	2. Chapter 2

TITLE: Kansas Blues (Dames' Night Out 2)  
AUTHOR: Talepiece  
RATING: 12 cert.  
PAIRING: Sarah Jane/River  
SUMMARY: River, Sarah Jane and Clara find themselves in post-apocalyptic America.  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, least of all these two.  
CONTINUITY: Post-_Not In Chronological Order_, follows directly from _Dame's Night Out_.

* * *

Sarah Jane looked around. Clara was still being sick behind them, she had no idea what had happened. The young woman seemed to be dealing with travel by Vortex Manipulator with even less dignity than Sarah Jane had managed. There was a tiny bit of pleasure in that thought. Sarah Jane didn't like herself for it but she accepted that it was there. She felt River's body pressed against her own and leaned in to it even more.

'We're not in Kansas any more,' Sarah Jane said.

'Actually,' River jabbed at the Vortex Manipulator, 'I suspect we are.'

Sarah Jane looked around them doubtfully. They were on a bluff overlooking a sprawling town. Or what had been a sprawling town; now it was a sprawling disaster zone. What buildings remained intact were smoking gently. The wisps blew and shifted in the light breeze that carried a heavy, metallic smell to them. Sarah Jane wrinkled her nose. She looked more carefully. You could see the layout of what had been a middle-sized conurbation. Wide roads cut through row upon row of homes and shops. There was a centre of sorts out in the middle of the low, flat area. A few taller buildings stood proud of the rest, set around an open square that was ringed with cars. Strange cars, though; unusual designs, Sarah Jane realised. More of the strange vehicles lined the roads, some parked up neatly, most left where they had stopped when whatever had happened took the inhabitants by surprise.

'What happened here?'

Sarah Jane waited for River to answer, her eyes still scanning the town below them. River said nothing and Sarah Jane became aware that Clara's heaving had stopped and River's muttering had intensified. She turned. Her eyes drifted over River's lowered head to find Clara standing up now, her gaze held by the sight below them. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide. She was a peculiar green colour but she seemed to be regaining her strength. Sarah Jane looked down at River. The muttering was quite colourful too. She was tapping at the Vortex Manipulator, her eyes narrowing as she studied the device.

'River, baby?' Clara said, 'What the heck's goin' on here?'

River didn't answer her either. The device at her wrist was making a whining noise. It bleeped a few times. River swatted it with the flat of her palm. It bleeped again but quieter this time. There was a moment of silence, nothing but the blinking of two lights on the device to indicate life. Then a sad little electronic sigh and the lights went out.

'Bugger,' River said with feeling.

'River?' Sarah Jane and Clara said at the same time.

Sarah Jane reached out for River's free hand, tugging on it until River turned to look at her. Her face was hard but her eyes were filled with regret. 'I'm so sorry, Sweetie,' she said on a sigh, 'I should never have let you come with me.'

'Like you could have stopped this dame, pleeeese!'

Sarah Jane grinned at Clara, 'You did stand very little chance.' She nudged River with her shoulder and waited for the answering smile. It came eventually and Sarah Jane added, 'Though some warning would have been nice; I'd have bought a change of clothes. Now then,' she turned to sweep a hand around them, 'you'd better tell us exactly where - and when - we are.'

'When? Honey, you'd better start with more than that.'

River shrugged off her jacket and draped it over Sarah Jane's shoulders. She took the opportunity to give her lover an apologetic hug before turning to Clara. 'Clara, surely you worked out that I wasn't just a traveller? That I didn't just travel on Earth?' River waited for the spark of understanding to fire up in Clara's eyes. It wasn't igniting. 'I'm not really from London in the 1920s, dear; I'm actually from the 51st Century, I was born on a planet you can't even see in the night's sky. I travel in space and time. I'm not of this Earth.' River's tone was getting desperate and Sarah Jane's barely-muffled laughter wasn't helping. 'Really, Sarah Jane! Clara,' she tried again, lifting the Vortex Manipulator in illustration, 'this thing allowed us to travel back from the 1980s and now it's bought us here.'

Clara turned her wide stare on the world around them, 'Yeah, baby, I think I got it. Yesterday I'd have thought you were razzing me but now,' she shrugged, 'I guess I ain't soozled and I know I ain't back in that warehouse any more. Jeez, River, why didn't you just fill me in on this?'

'I'm sorry, Clara.'

'Yeah,' Clara shrugged again, apparently dismissing the whole thing, 'whatever. So, just where are we then, ha?'

'I suspect this is the US Midwest circa 3050,' River sniffed the air, 'There was an unfortunate incident involving some nuclear devices and house valuations dropped quite suddenly.'

'How many died?' Sarah Jane asked.

River's voice dropped to match Sarah Jane's serious tone, 'Millions, counting the people who were affected after the initial explosions. Most of the country was abandoned for years. This bloody thing,' she lifted her wrist, 'was showing lowish levels of radiation so we're somewhere in the later part of that period.'

'How long do we have?'

'Nuclear? Long?' Clara said, 'River, baby, what does she mean by long?'

'Radiation poisoning,' she said to Clara. To Sarah Jane she added, 'I wouldn't want to still be around in a couple of weeks but we should be all right if we get out of here within a day or so.'

'And just how do you plan to do that?' Clara said.

That shut them all up.

Clara turned back to the view and stared down at the town. It didn't look so different from her time, if you ignored the destruction. Even with it, the place looked kind of cleaner. Funny jalopies and more metal. Was that progress? She glanced back to say as much to River but stopped. She had Sarah Jane in her arms. The two women held each other, Sarah Jane's face tucked in to River's neck. Clara saw a tear roll down River's cheek and she looked away. Let them have their moment. She turned back and watched the strange movements down on the road out of town.

River held Sarah Jane tight to her and tried to blink back her tears. Sarah Jane shifted in her arms and there was the gentle caress of lips across her jawline. River sighed and leaned in to the contact.

'I'm not sure now is the time, Sweetie,' River said.

'Ain't that the truth,' Clara said over her shoulder, 'Bank it, ladies, we've got company.'

'Company?' River disengaged herself from Sarah Jane. She dropped a quick kiss to the pout that shaped Sarah Jane's lips before turning to Clara. 'We can't have company, Clara; there's no-one near here for thousands of miles. Ah,' she added.

'Ah?' Sarah Jane said, turning with River.

Clara's arm was held out, her fingers pointing to the road that left the town and headed up towards them. There was movement. Not vehicles but not people either. Or were they? Something dark and loping, perhaps the size of a human man. Not really walking but moving at quite a pace. And moving towards them.

'Perhaps we might move?' River said.

Sarah Jane looked around them, 'That's the only road anywhere near here.'

'Then we should probably take the short cut,' River said and pointed to the edge of the bluff. They eased themselves forward until they were looking over the edge and down the steep drop to the ground below. 'It will be a bumpy ride,' River said, 'but I think it might be preferable.'

'You seriously want to go down there?' Clara said, 'What about those things?'

'They might be friendly?' Sarah Jane offered.

'Ever the optimist, Sarah Jane, but I somehow doubt it. And, yes Clara, I want to go down there. We need to fix this thing,' she hefted her wrist again, 'and somewhere down there is the equipment to do it.'

'And somewhere down there are quite possibly more of whatever those things are,' Sarah Jane said, pointing to the black dots on the road.

'Every plan has a flaw, Sweetie.'

They scrambled down with limbs, if not dignity, intact. Sarah Jane glanced back at the drop they had tumbled and bounced down, then across at the road. Most of the loping creatures had already started the climb up to the bluff but two had been left behind, their loping an even more awkward, stumbling gait. Somehow three women roaring down the steep side of the plateau had escaped their attention. They just staggered on, their bodies hunched over, covered in what looked like tarpaulins.

'Sweetie,' River hissed.

Sarah Jane turned back to see River a few yards ahead and Clara further still. It was a mile or so to the edge of the town and more still to the centre. All of that was in the open; only the buildings would give them any cover and that would leave them trapped if they weren't careful.

'Could we get one of those cars working, do you think?'

'You wanna travel in style?' Clara said.

'I want to travel with some speed,' Sarah Jane indicted the creatures with a jerk of her head.

River and Clara, ahead of her and looking back, suddenly stared up at the bluff behind Sarah Jane. She turned and craned her neck. There at the top, looking down on them, was one of the creatures. It snarled at them, the sound reaching them as a hissing on the air. What little of its face they could see was twisted in rage. An arm-like appendage slashed out from under its covering and ripped through the air. Sarah Jane took it for another show of the creature's anger but behind her Clara gave an, 'Oh brother,' and River ran forward to grab for Sarah Jane's arm. Sarah Jane was yanked around, free arm flailing to keep her balance before she could move on.

'What is going on?'

Clara's hand shot out and pointed off to the road. Sarah Jane glanced around, stumbling as she did so but staying upright. Until she saw what had them both so worried. She stumbled again and River dragged her on. The two creatures who had been bringing up the rear were now closest to them. Had they been the slowest or were these creatures smart enough to leave a rearguard? Whichever it was, they now had two of the things heading directly for them, cutting off the road and loping across the hard, dry earth. The three women kicked up dust as they ran. The creatures didn't seem to have the same trouble moving on the difficult terrain, they just continued in that same loping motion - and they were gaining on them.

'Glad you went with the low shoes?' River said on a panting breath.

'I'd prefer my boots, if I'm being honest.'

'Will you dames can it?' Clara shouted, 'Come on!'

They ran on, the creatures seeming to loom up behind them. There was movement off to the side too, over by the road, but Sarah Jane refused to let herself look there. They had to keep running. They were closing on the edge of the town now, rows of nice little houses that had once housed nice little families. The thought made Sarah Jane's heart ache and she had to focus on keeping her legs pumping.

'They must be afraid of something,' River gasped out, 'Fire, noise?'

'Something bigger than them,' Sarah Jane said.

'I'll try a sudden growth spurt then, shall I?'

'Inside the house?' Clara shouted from up ahead.

'And get trapped? I don't bloody think so,' River waved her on frantically.

Sarah Jane saw Clara veer off to run around the white fence of the first house in the first row. They had run in to the nice end of town but she didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Much as she hated weapons of any kind, Sarah Jane would have been quite happy to stumble on an arms cache or even something deadlier. They skirted the first home and made a sharp turn on to the pavement. Easier ground to run on but more obstacles. There were already cars left scattered on the road. The once-neat lawns and trees had regrown in strange ways, all twisted branches and oddly coloured grass. But natural always adapted and life had begun to return. There was a harsh buzzing in the air and the ever-present thudding of the creatures behind them. More than just the two now. Many more.

The three women wove their way through the cars in the middle of the road. They were roughly the same shape as the vehicles Sarah Jane knew but with sleeker lines and an odd non-metallic shine to them. Still no flying cars then, the thought passed through Sarah Jane's mind before she could stop it. It made her snort with laughter and that had River glancing back at her with a concerned expression. Sarah Jane waved her on and River turned to find that the road was blocked by a huge, squat vehicle with police markings.

Oh, thank you god, Sarah Jane thought. She said, 'Clara, get in that car!'

'Sweetie?'

'Look at the top.' Set back on the vehicle, rising up above the roof of the cab, was a gun turret. River looked from Sarah Jane to the turret and back again, surprise flashing through the panic in her eyes. 'You don't have to kill them,' Sarah Jane said, 'just scare them off.' And, please, let the engine still work, she added to herself.

Clara had already ripped the door open and was pulling herself up in to the passenger's seat. River took a few quick strides to the side and raced for the back of the vehicle. Sarah Jane hesitated a moment, then scrambled up in to the driver's door. It was the wrong way round, she realised, when faced with the electronic controls in the dashboard; River should be there, trying to get the thing started, while she pulled the trigger and scared the creatures away. Too late now and she leaned down to find a way to start the thing.

The thudding of the creature's feet was almost upon them but it was quickly drowned out by the rat-a-tat of the gun on the roof. The whole vehicle rocked as a stream of bullets shot out above them. The roadway cut up in chunks of flying tarmac, zipping around the startled creatures. They gave a howl, all the creatures as one, and it roared around the car. River didn't stop, still firing a hail of bullets that veered closer and closer to the creatures. One was hit. The howling stopped. There was an eerie silence as the creatures considered the fallen body. They edged away from the car, growling and snarling but no longer raging with the bloodlust that had fueled them. River didn't halt her fire, zigzagging across the road, keeping the creatures moving backwards. Until they broke off suddenly, turning as one and loping off as fast as they had chased the women.

'Go River!' Clara yelled, bouncing up and down on her seat, 'Yeah, and you take that, you rag-a-muffins. Hey, what a load of saps,' she added, slumping back in to the seat and finally noticing that Sarah Jane was taking no notice of the creature's retreat but still desperately trying to get the engine going, 'Sarah Jane?'

'I doubt it will be that easy,' River said, leaning down from above and poking her head in to the cab, 'Sarah Jane?'

'I have no idea!' Sarah Jane said, slamming her palms on the wheel, 'River?'

'That button there -'

'I've tried that one.'

'- and then that one, just a fraction after.' Sarah Jane leaned forward again and did as she was told. River added, 'Hold them both for a few seconds. There.'

With that, River lifted herself away from the cab and took up station behind the turret. Sarah Jane's hands took the steering wheel automatically, feeling the thrum of the engine through her whole body as it rumbled through the vehicle. She had another moment of disappointment at still having to steer with a wheel but she didn't laugh at the thought this time. Her eye had been caught by the body of the fallen creature. Given the bullets River had fired, it was a miracle she'd only hit one of them but still Sarah Jane felt for the loss. She considered taking a moment to look at it, to find out exactly what had survived in this wasteland, to discover just what these creatures were.

'What are you waiting for?' Clara hissed.

Or perhaps not. Sarah Jane gunned the engine, swung the wheel and ran in to the nearest abandoned car. Their own vehicle rocked a little but the smaller car buckled under its weight and Sarah Jane left a large dent in its side as she reversed away from it, turned the wheel again and pointed them towards the centre of the town. 'There goes the no claims bonus,' Sarah Jane said as she threw their vehicle from side to side, trying to avoid the parked cars but slamming in to more than one. 'River?' she shouted up through the open window.

'Just keep going,' River shouted back, a thrill in her tone that worried and excited Sarah Jane in equal measure. They bumped and skidded their way through the town, keeping as straight a line as they could towards the centre. They passed more little houses, then larger ones; apartments and motels; stores and fast food chains. 'Over there' River called down and Sarah Jane looked around.

'Those?' Clara said, her hand pointing to a line of shops on her side of the road.

Sarah Jane spotted them and saw the sign that hung limb over the central store. From the outside it looked much like the place where she'd purchased her last television. She mounted the curb and braked hard immediately in front of the window. The view gave her an idea that some things had moved on; perhaps it wasn't entirely like Radio Rentals. Clara threw her door open and dropped down. Sarah Jane hesitated, looking around her as best she could to check that no creatures were nearby. There was a bang on the cab's roof and River said, 'It's safe, Sweetie.'

Sarah Jane slammed the door shut behind her and waited for River to scramble down from the back of the vehicle. They hugged, aware of Clara's impatient presence but ignoring it. Both women looked around again but there was no sign of anyone - or anything. The silence was eerie now after the rumble of their transport. The air still had that metallic tang to it, the breeze still gusting in unnatural patterns. Sarah Jane shivered, her skin tingling.

River rubbed her arms, 'We'll be fine; this place should have everything I need. At least we can be sure that looters didn't get in here.'

They joined Clara. River stepped through the door, the glass long since fallen and now scattered around them. Inside it looked like the staff had just popped out for a moment. Though the place was thick with dust, dust that stood in heaped piles at a few points around the shop, the goods were still on the shelves, the displays still set up to tempt the passerby. As long as the passerby didn't look too closely at their shattered glass and twisted plastic. Sarah Jane followed Clara inside. The younger woman stared around at the electronics. Sarah Jane realised that the difference of just fifty years between them was as much of a gulf as the thousands of years between her and River. More, perhaps, since she had already witnessed much of the future when she travelled with the Doctor and more still due to her interaction with alien visitors to Earth. She left Clara to gazing around her in wonder and joined River.

'What do you need?'

River shrugged, 'I'll know it when I see it. Sarah Jane? Keep an eye on Clara and keep a watch outside; those things are not going to stay away forever.'

River walked through the store, heading for the door marked Staff Only that was set in the back wall. Sarah Jane stopped her with, 'River? What if there's some...thing living back there?'

'Then I'll be the streak of panic running past you at full tilt, Sweetie.'

With that, River was gone, jogging between the aisles towards the door. Sarah Jane shook her head but couldn't stop herself from laughing. Clara joined her, her own laughter dying down as she said, 'You really hooked her, ha?'

'I hope so.'

'Oh, come on,' Clara gave Sarah Jane an unexpected hug, 'She's totally goofy for you.'

'Goofy?' Sarah Jane laughed again. Her mirth fell away as she said, 'Let's make sure there are no nasty surprises, shall we?'

They returned to the front of the store, standing close to the door and watching the deserted road beyond. There was still no sign of the creatures. And then they were there. A dozen of them at least and more movement behind them too. Appearing from between the abandoned cars as if they had appeared from thin air. That same loping gait, front legs - arms? Sarah Jane wondered again - pulling them along as much as the hind legs pushed them forward. Hunched figures, crouching low to the tarmac but setting a good pace. They were covered with that same heavy material, their twisted bodies draped in the dense, blue fabric.

'River!' Clara shouted.

Sarah Jane clapped a hand over her mouth but it was far too late. She rifled through the pockets of River's jacket but found nothing of use. She cursed herself for not bringing the sonic lipstick; what was she thinking, leaving the house without it? 'Clara,' Sarah Jane said, 'go back there and tell River to hurry up. I'll hold them off.'

Clara hesitated and Sarah Jane gave her a shove that had the young woman scowling at her. Sarah Jane ignored it and turned back to the approaching creatures. She hurried out of the shop and scrambled up on to the back of the vehicle. The gun turret was facing towards the store and Sarah Jane hefted it around, her back pressing in to the back of the cab as she aimed it at the approaching creatures. They had formed in to a tighter group to negotiate the obstacles around the shops but now they fanned out again. Sarah Jane paused, her finger hovering over the trigger. The creatures hesitated too, coming to an unsteady halt. They remembered what had happened to them before, knew that this device was a danger to them. There was some sort of intelligence then, not just the raw instinct of a wild creature.

She took a deep breath and squeezed her finger down on to the trigger. The kick from the first few rounds had her jerking back before she could force her body to absorb the shock and remain upright. She sprayed bullets in a wide arc around her. They cut in to the tarmac of the road and the panels of the cars, shards filling the air and bouncing around the creatures who stopped and cowed back but didn't retreat. Sarah Jane eased off the trigger and watched the creatures. They waited too, a long pause while there hidden faces turned up to study her just as she was studying them. Then they took a few hesitant steps forward and Sarah Jane let loose another volley. This time they did retreat but only a few steps. Another stand off, hidden eyes watching Sarah Jane. Her skin crawled, the sensation becoming painful and she wondered if the readings that River had taken before the Vortex Manipulator had died were accurate - just how much radiation was left here?

'Sarah Jane!' Clara's voice came from behind her and both Sarah Jane and the creatures jumped in surprise. Sarah Jane kept her eyes on them while she waited for Clara to come running from the store and clamber up on to the back of the vehicle. 'River says that she needs you, something about - ah, heck, something about something weird. Go on,' Clara shouldered Sarah Jane to the side and reached for the gun, 'I'll take care of these things.'

'You don't have to kill them,' Sarah Jane said, 'Just keep them at bay.'

'Yeah, right, honey,' Clara rolled her eyes, 'Now go on, River needs help back there. And hurry it up, will ya?'

Sarah Jane threw herself down from the turret and rushed back through the shop. She ran through the door to find River bent over a large desk. She had deposited the desk's former contents on the floor with a sweep of her hand and now it held a large toolbox with its tools scattered around the small workspace that River had reserved in the centre. The Vortex Manipulator sat in that space, its guts spilled out around it. River didn't look up on Sarah Jane's arrival, though Sarah Jane sensed a slight relaxation in River's shoulders as she came to stand behind her. She placed a hand on River's back and held it there until River spoke.

'No chance you bought your sonic with you? No, didn't think so. Here, hold this bit and keep your finger there.'

Sarah Jane did as she was told, following River's instructions precisely. Slowly the Vortex Manipulator regained more of its internal workings until there were only a few pieces left on the desk. River hesitated and Sarah Jane nudged her with her shoulder. River looked up, her eyes dark with worry. She glanced around, listening to the spluttering fire from outside. There was the occasional whoop of joy from Clara but mostly it was the crack of the gun turret and the howls of pain and rage from the creatures. Sarah Jane read her expression easily - this was there first and last hope.

'Finish it, River,' Sarah Jane dropped a kiss to River's shoulder, 'and lets go home.'

River swallowed hard, said nothing, simply turned back to her work and bent low over the desk again. A few more minutes and she was straightening up, the Vortex Manipulator held in her hand. She held the wristpiece over her arm and Sarah Jane reached out to fasten the binding. There were no lights, no sign of life at all but Sarah Jane said nothing. River looked around the storeroom, then shook her head. She stepped back in to the store front, Sarah Jane close behind her. Another pause, something spotted in a nearby aisle and River was moving again. Sarah Jane held back, craning her neck to see out of the window. Sparks flew wild as Clara let rip with another round of bullets. A roaring howl that filled the store and then silence.

River looked up from what she was doing, staring towards the front of the store. Sarah Jane said, 'Hurry, River,' and she returned to her work. A long, low whining sound and Sarah Jane was breathing freely for the first time since they had arrived in this godforsaken place. She rushed forward, hugging a relieved River while they were already moving through the aisles. Just as they reached the front of the store, Clara fired again, a prolonged hail of bullets that caused more howls of pain. Through the door and, even from behind the vehicle, Sarah Jane could see the carnage that Clara had wrought.

'Let's go,' River said with a firm push to Sarah Jane's back. Sarah Jane stumbled forward, righted herself on the side of the vehicle, then scrambled up again. River was close behind her, arm stretched out. 'Clara,' she shouted over the din of the gun, 'stop now!' She grabbed for Sarah Jane's arm, slapping her hand down on the Vortex Manipulator. 'Clara!' They both lurched forward, falling hard against Clara, who was pressed tight to the gun turret. River bought her free hand down hard on the Vortex Manipulator's controls and there was the rush of energy, the ripping of time itself as they were sucked back through the vortex. Clara was still pressed hard against the turret, though she was barely aware of anything but the rush of bile that filled her throat and the stars that filled her vision. She hadn't let go of the trigger and the gun still roared out death.

Death that sprayed around the warehouse back at the pier, leaving torn bodies on the floor in a wide arc of red. The haze of their departure had only just cleared from the air when they arrived back again. Lotus Blossom and her goons hadn't even had time to turn towards the huge vehicle that appeared from out of the air. Clara's unintended attack had felled the henchmen in a moment. Lotus Blossom stared around her in shock before her cold eyes fell on Clara's now silent gun. Clara stared back, her finger twitching on the trigger but something stopped her from opening fire once more.

A wild grin came to Lotus Blossom's face and she lifted her arms out from her body, offering Clara a wider target. Clara growled at the back of her throat but still couldn't force her hand to work against the trigger. Then Lotus Blossom was laughing, a wicked laugh that cut through the cold air of the warehouse. She threw her hands above her head and disappeared in a flash of orange light. Clara's eyes snapped closed against the glare, her head turning instinctively as her mind worked to catch up with what had happened.

Still pressed in to Clara's shoulder with River close at her back, Sarah Jane felt shaky but not nearly so bad as she had before. Then she looked up at the horror around her and she suddenly felt much, much worse. River held her close, using Sarah Jane's discomfort as an excuse to keep her own eyes away from the carnage. At least something had forced Clara to take her finger from the trigger, though everything had been a blur as they returned through the vortex.

River eased herself and Sarah Jane down to the ground, the bodies concealed by the vehicle itself. 'Sarah Jane? Are you alright Sweetie?'

Sarah Jane nodded against her chest, face tight to the fabric of River's shirt. A button was pressing in to her temple but she didn't care. She clung on to River for long moments more, then eased back and looked up in to River's concerned face. Sarah Jane managed a weak smile and leaned forward to drop a kiss to River's cheek.

'You did it.'

They held each other until Clara tumbled down from the vehicle and stood on unsteady legs before them. She was that funny green colour again but it was the hint of panic in her eyes that made Sarah Jane straighten up. River kept a firm grip on Sarah Jane's arms as she asked, 'Are you all right, Clara?'

Clara shrugged, 'Don't know this is gonna catch on as a way to travel, baby.'

'Oh my god,' Sarah Jane said. She lifted River's hand and studied the Vortex Manipulator closely; as relieved as she was to be away from that place, she really didn't want to be stuck in the Twenties with no way home. Sarah Jane held River's wrist up to her and said, 'Can we?'

'Yes, I think so. I doubt it's got too many jumps left in it but one more certainly. I'll just need to do a little work on the location finding; I only had time to return us to our previous location before.'

'I don't think that's our biggest problem,' Clara said. River and Sarah Jane stared at her and she added, 'Lotus Blossom got away.'

'Away? From that?' Sarah Jane said, though she very carefully didn't look at what "that" was.

'She just sort of went puff,' Clara's hands waved madly, 'away.'

'Puff, Clara?'

'Yeah, River, like puff, gone in a flash of orange. Like some magic trick. Like your kinda magic trick, baby.'

River's head fell. Sarah Jane watched her carefully. 'We're going to need to make more than one jump aren't we?'

'I'm afraid so, Sweetie.'  



End file.
